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LeBron expresses confidence in Derrick Rose

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Chicago Bulls. All opinions expressed by Sam Smith are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Chicago Bulls or their Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Bulls and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

For many of us of another generation, you always remember where you were on Nov. 22.

For many in the NBA, even like LeBron James, they remember where they were this past Nov. 22 when Derrick Rose in Portland suffered his second severe knee injury in less than two years.

“I didn’t want to believe it,” James said before Thursday’s TNT national game between the Heat and Bulls. “My initial thought was I didn’t want to believe it. I was actually at home watching the game. I was watching the Bulls/Blazers when it happened.

“I saw the play,” said James. “Joakim (Noah) caught the elbow, D. Rose went back door. I seen him kind up come up (limping). I thought he twisted an ankle or something like that at the time. But when I saw them working on him on the sideline, on the bench, it didn’t look well. I was hoping for the best for him and obviously the news wasn’t the best.”

It wasn’t the best for the Heat coming into the game as Dwyane Wade stayed back at the team hotel ill. Also, reserve Chris Andersen was not with the team because of a personal matter. So the defending champions planned to start Ray Allen in the backcourt.

Wade will be back, and James said he had every confidence Rose would return to the NBA at a high level of play.

“No doubt,” said James when asked about seeing Rose playing again at a top level. “He’s very young. But more than that he very determined. I think he’ll be great.

“The only person in this locker room who can really relate to that is Greg (Oden),” James added about understanding what Rose has gone through. “I know D. Wade has had his fair share of knee injuries, but he has been able to come back, dealt with the pain over the years. But to have a knee injury, to get back and have another one, Greg on our team can relate to it. I can’t relate to it.”

About Sam Smith

Smith covered the Bulls and the NBA for the Chicago Tribune for 25 years. He is the author of the best selling The Jordan Rules, which was top ten on the New York Times Bestseller List for three months. He is also the author of Second Coming: The Strange Odyssey of Michael Jordan and co-author of the Total Basketball Encyclopedia. Smith served as president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association for four terms, a feat no one else has accomplished. He has also served on committees for the NBA and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2012, Smith was honored by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with its Curt Gowdy Media Award.